


Rare Desires

by infandomswetrust



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alpha Hannibal, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Eventual Smut, M/M, Omega Will, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, mentions of past physical abuse, mentions of past sexual abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-01-26 00:17:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1667765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infandomswetrust/pseuds/infandomswetrust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will is a Primal Omega, an extremly rare breed and one of the last of his kind. Hannibal is an unbonded Alpha. Both of them are absolutely convinced that they don't need a mate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first A/B/O story and I kinda made up a new kind of omega. Deal with it.

In 1957, there was a project called “Primal Instincts.” It was founded by an Omega-rights organization, and the idea was to create “Primal Omegas”, meaning they reduced the test objects to their primal genetics and added Alpha genes to that foundation. They wanted to create superior Omegas, stronger and more dominant to stop the oppression. Still easy to control, still submissive, but not blindly so. They tried to find a way so that Omegas wouldn’t be the weakest gender anymore. The project went on for 20 years and over 5000 Primals were created throughout that time. The first few objects died after just a few weeks. Their bodies couldn’t cope, but with time passing they found out that by adding a minor dose of Beta hormones they could sustain a stable breed and more and more primals survived. Primal Omegas had a few remarkable characteristics. For one, they could control when their heat started. Primals had three heats a year and could time them as they pleased. Suppressants didn’t work on Primals and neither did birth control, but it was also extremely rare for a Primal to get pregnant, even more so a male. The few Alphas that were part of the project were paired with some of the Primals and soon tests showed that _if_ a pregnancy occurred, the children turned out to be mostly Alphas and sometimes, very rarely, pure Primals. The inconsistency however made it difficult for the race to actually propagate. That is why, among other reasons, the project had failed and the breed slowly died. Primals had believed to be extinct for a long time, but a few years ago the Government had announced that worldwide, roughly 200 Omegas of the breed were still alive. That caused quite the reaction. Most people were convinced that Primals should be treated with extreme respect and as national treasures. Only a few, tory Alphas and some jealous regular Omegas protested and still saw Primals as disgrace. Hannibal Lecter wasn’t one of these people. The Alpha was immensely fascinated by the idea of a superior breed.

When Jack Crawford stepped into his office to ask him to analyze one of his Omega agents, he wasn’t really interested at first. Noticing his reluctance, Jack grinned knowingly and said:

“You might want to reconsider, Dr. Lecter. His empathy isn’t the only thing special about Will.”

Hannibal furrowed his brow questioningly and Jack’s smile widened. He was visibly enjoying this. His knowledge gave him a position of power in the situation, and as a textbook-Alpha he was glad for every opportunity to have the upper hand. Perhaps that was why he worked for the FBI.

“He’s a Primal.” Jack finally said, after a long anticipating silence. Hannibal swallowed and was at an honest loss of words for a moment. Never had the alpha imagined to get a chance to meet a Primal. Most of the remaining were somewhere in Europe, since Primal Instincts had been located in France. The American government hadn’t allowed the project to take place in the States back then. Naturally not, a state run by Alphas supporting a project to make Omegas stronger? Impossible thing in the past. But times had changed.

“Consider my interest raised.” Hannibal said thoughtfully.

“I thought it’d get your attention.” Jack replied with a wolfish grin. Hannibal was both an excellent psychiatrist _and_ an unbonded Alpha. He rather not thought about what part of him Jack was so sure would be interested.

The two Alphas agreed that Hannibal would meet the young Primal the following week. The doctor was more than looking forward to the encounter. He had no interest in a mate. Never had and probably never would. His eagerness was of a purely professional nature. It wasn’t that he liked being alone, it just wouldn’t be possible to keep his murderous secrets from a mate, and sharing the Chesapeake Ripper’s identity was not something he was planning to do.

The first thing Hannibal noticed upon entering Jack’s office was the smell. It was a light, incredibly sweet and pure scent. Intoxicating. Without a doubt the most breathtaking thing Hannibal had ever smelled. The next thing were skittish, sparkling blue eyes. Stunning. Without a doubt the most beautiful thing Hannibal had ever seen. _Superior indeed_ he thought as he approached the astonishing young man, who looked at him warily. Without greeting him, the Primal snapped:

“I’m sorry to have wasted your time Dr. Lecter, but I _do not need a psychiatrist.”_ The last words were directed at Jack who sat at his desk and sighed.

“Will, I have to be able to rely on you in the field. Your recent behavior tells me I can’t!” the Alpha said sternly and Will ducked his head from the screaming Alpha out of Omega-instinct, but the defiance didn’t leave his face.

“I’m sure it’s my _behavior_ that has you second guessing.” Will hissed. He knew it wasn’t fair; Jack had never given him reason to believe he saw less in him because of his sex, but the entire situation angered him. In fact, he’d rather believe that this was about his breed than about his psyche.

“If I may interrupt, I have no interest in being your therapist, Will. I understand you don’t want to be treated like a patient.” Hannibal stepped in, his voice soothing and calm. Will glared at him reluctantly.

“What is your _interest_ then?” the Primal asked.

“You see a lot of darkness through your work. Jack seems to think you need someone to rely on. A paddle.” the doctor said calmly. “We would simply be having conversations.” he added.

“I’m not really the conversational type.” Will said bitterly, but he watched Hannibal with new interest. The defiance was slowly getting weaker.

“Maybe you lack of the right conversational partners.” Hannibal answered confidently. Jack had watched the exchange quietly until now, but it seemed the Alpha was losing his patience.

“Agree or don't, but you _will_ start seeing Dr. Lecter. That's an order.” he said sternly, all his Alpha power in the words. Every normal Omega would have been intimated by the amount of dominance Jack radiated, and Hannibal was sure even most Primals would have obeyed. But it seemed Will truly was special.

“Or what? We both know you can’t fire me.” the young man snapped. Hannibal furrowed his brow. An Omega standing up to an enraged Alpha like that… Remarkable. Going by Jack’s face, he was used to such behavior coming from the young Primal. The doctor could tell by Will’s body language that he was acting against his instincts as he slowly stood up, stared at Jack for a moment and walked out without saying another word. Jack sighed desperately and rubbed his hand over his forehead.

“I’m sorry, I should have seen that coming.” he growled. Hannibal waved off politely.

“Not a problem at all.” he said at length. The meeting had definitely been worth it, and Hannibal was determined that now that he had entered it, he would stay in the young man’s life.

“If you’re not busy, I would like to take you with us on our next case. He’ll calm down eventually.” Jack asked; his tone somewhat hopeful. Hannibal considered for a while. He probably could cancel a few appointments if he had to. It could be an opportunity to get closer to the defiant Primal.

“I will see what I can do.” he said, but they both knew it was an affirmation.

The case turned out to be in Minnesota. In a span of three weeks, seven male Omegas had been found dead. All of them had been bonded, and Jack didn’t exactly look forward to dealing with their grieving mates. Hannibal supposed that the fact that the victims were all Omegas was the reason Jack had wanted to bring the doctor along. Will had it difficult enough through his empathy, but having to face seven dead bodies of his own kind would be overwhelming for the poor man. Another characteristic of Primals was that they were overly sensitive and caring, even more than regular Omegas.

The flight was quiet and Will slept most of the time. Hannibal presumed the young man usually didn’t get much sleep, and when the Primal suddenly started squirming next to him and woke with a gasp that assumption was confirmed.

“Are you alright, Will?” he asked, his voice low and soothing. The voice of an Alpha calming his mate, he suddenly realized and his features quickly hardened. The young man was beyond fascinating, but he couldn’t start thinking like that. There was no space for a mate in his life. Will glanced at him and Hannibal wondered if he had somehow picked up his brief inner struggle.

“Yeah. Just a nightmare.” the Primal muttered and closed his eyes again. Hannibal watched him in his sleep for a while, the defiance and the trouble gone from his beautiful face. Peaceful. Innocent. Suddenly a wave of protectiveness washed over the doctor.

 

A few hours later, they were standing on a fresh crime scene. The killer had struck again while they had been on the plane. Before they even got out of the car, the smell confirmed that the victim was another Omega. Will swallowed hard and tried not to breathe. As they approached the body, the smell got more intense and when they finally stopped and Will stared down at the dead man, a small whimper escaped his throat. The sound made both Jack and Hannibal stiffen, the two Alphas ruled by instinct for a moment. When Hannibal took a step closer however, Will waved him off.

“I’m fine.” he muttered hardly convincingly. The Alpha stepped back again and watched Will carefully. Jack had told him about the empath’s strange trance-like reconstructing progress but he was eager to see it himself. Will pursed his lips and tried to inhale as little as possible as he calmed his pulse and closed his eyes.

_Disgust. Disappointment. I see you for what you are. A disgrace. Pathetic. You are dragging down the progress I desire. I want to cleanse your kind, to free the world. I don’t honor your death because I didn’t honor your life. You don’t deserve a respectful death, because you objected a respectful life. With your end, something new can start. This is my design._

Will opened his eyes again in shock.

“The killer is an Omega.” he said, in horror about this revelation. Jack arched his brow.

“An Omega killing other Omegas?” he asked disbelievingly. The Primal nodded.

“The victims were all bonded. He despises them because they submitted.” he muttered and suddenly felt very sick. When he felt a hand on his upper arm, he realized he was trembling. Hannibal stood by his side, supporting him. Will could smell the Alpha’s strong, minty scent and couldn’t stop himself from inhaling deeply. Anything to replace the smell of dead Omega. His omegian instincts told him to lean into the touch; to let himself be held and cared for by the Alpha but Will had never been one to act upon his instincts. Despite the excited prickling the simple touch caused on his skin he withdrew his arm and forced himself to focus and stop trembling. Luckily, Jack dismissed him, knowing that Will had given all he could. Hannibal drove the empath back to the motel they were staying in and glanced at the Primal a few times, who seemed to be completely lost in thought.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked after a while. Will stiffened as if he had forgotten the Alpha’s presence and nodded slowly. They weren’t going to get anywhere like this.

“If you restrain from talking to me it will be hard to build up a conversation.” Hannibal said calmly and stopped in front of their motel.

“I told you I’m not the conversational type.” the Omega said and got out of the car. Before he closed the door he turned around and muttered half-heartedly:

“Good night.”

“Good night, Will.” Hannibal answered and watched thoughtfully how the young man disappeared into his room. This was going to be a lot harder than he had expected. The Alpha smiled. He did love challenges.

 

The next morning, Will was making coffee with the small, barely functioning machine in his motel room when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He sniffled and realized it was Dr. Lecter. Another thing about Primals; their sense of smell was almost as keen as an Alpha’s. He hesitated for a moment before opening the door. He found the Alpha unsettling. He could sense something very dark about him, but what unsettled him even more was that he felt somewhat drawn to him.

 Will hadn’t been bred to be yearning for a mate; a lot of Primals lived happily alone since the aching need for a bond had been successfully reduced by Primal Instincts. In fact, the young Omega was rather intimidated by the thought of having a mate. As a Primal, a lot of Alphas were praising him like a rare jewel and he had often been courted since the project had failed and he had fled the camp. Although its intentions had been good, Primal Instincts hadn’t been gentle to their test objects. Of course they had needed strong Alphas to control the hundreds of Omegas and they didn’t have the biggest budget either. Will had spent most of his childhood in a narrow room he had to share with three others.

Another knock, not pressing or demanding like one would expect from such a dominant Alpha, just a polite reminder that someone was at the door. Will opened reluctantly and eyed the handsome Alpha with a quick, wary gaze.

“Good morning, Will.” The doctor smiled. Will pursed his lips and nodded once, unsure what the Alpha wanted or expected from him.

“May I come in?”

Will hesitated for a moment before he stepped aside and watched how Hannibal put the bag he was carrying on the small table and revealed two boxes. A delicious smell that reminded Will just how hungry he was filled the room, but he made no move to come closer. When Hannibal sat down and motioned at the seat opposite Will stared at the boxes warily.

“You brought me breakfast?”

“That I did.” Hannibal answered. “Is there a problem with that?” he asked softly. Will finally walked over to the table and sat down slowly.

“It just seems like a very un-alpha thing to do.”

“Standing up to Jack as you do seems like a very un-omega thing to do.” Hannibal countered. Will shrugged and took the fork Hannibal handed him.

“Well I guess it’s easier for a Primal to act against his instincts.” he muttered and took a bite from the meal.

The taste didn’t disappoint the expectations the smell had already raised. The approving hum he gave sent an unexpected, electric wave of want through Hannibal. Primals could purr on different frequencies depending on the situation, and even if this had just been a faint, harmless sound to socialize, it was enough to bring out everything that was alpha about Hannibal for a moment, and he could practically feel the young man’s skin between his teeth while he thought about marking him, claiming him. The Primal seemed to have noticed the change of tension in the room and shifted uncomfortably. His instincts told him to tilt his head and bare his neck for the Alpha in front of him but Will didn’t give a damn about his instincts. He didn’t need a mate. Not if they would just see him as a Primal Omega. He wanted to be appreciated for himself not just for his breed. But there lay the problem, _everyone_ just saw him as that rare, valuable creature and no one ever really tried to get to know _him._ Hannibal cleared his throat and averted his fiery eyes from the nervous Omega. He didn’t want to intimidate the young man, in the contrary, he wanted him to trust him. He didn’t know why it was so important to him, but he wanted to be special to the Primal. Before he could do anything he would regret, Hannibal stood and collected the remains of the food.

When he left, the Omega wouldn’t meet his eyes once again, and a part of Hannibal wanted to order Will to look up, to use the strength and dominance his gender allowed him to make the man look, to force him to show him those beautiful blue eyes. Hannibal blinked the thought away and went back to his own room. He couldn’t start thinking like that. He had never been a typical Alpha; he didn’t feel the need to show off his dominance, but Will brought out a side in him that was almost savage, a side purely ruled by instincts. Hannibal tried to push all these thoughts away.

He didn’t need a mate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already wrote this last week, I haven't really been able to write anything since the finale. Hell, I haven't been able to do anything at all since the finale. I'm not even sure if I'm still alive or if the pounding in my chest are just the shards of my shattered heart tumbling around.

The next day, when Hannibal gave Will a ride to the local police station where Jack was already waiting, he noticed something different about the Primal. It was natural for Primal Omegas to smell faintly of Beta, due to the hormones in their system, but today Will smelled almost purely of Beta, his own sweet scent completely covered under the offending cologne. When Hannibal raised his eyebrows and fought to keep the distaste from his face Will merely shrugged.

“Makes it easier to blend in.” he muttered. He didn’t have a problem with being an Omega, not even with being a Primal, but he had learned over time that masking his gender in public made his everyday-life a lot easier. Especially in law enforcement, probably the most Alpha-attracting field of work there was, he had often had unpleasant or simply embarrassing encounters. The one time an Officer had spit at him and hissed he was a _fucking insult to our society_ and _what the hell were these bitches thinking to try and make something worthless superior_ had upset him just as much as the one time an agent had followed him for two weeks straight, wanting to _protect him_ because he was _such a treasure._ Meanwhile he didn’t feel like he needed to hide in the BAU anymore, Jack Crawford’s team was very tolerant and discrete, but this was a different team, a different sate and probably a bunch of Alphas, so he preferred to go to the station as a beta.

“Do you find it important to blend in?” Hannibal asked casually. Will glared at the Alpha.

“I thought you weren’t interested in being my therapist.”

“I was not trying to act as a therapist.”

“Then stop trying to analyze me.” Will snapped and turned to look out of the window.

Again, Hannibal felt like punishing the Omega for his reluctance, but he wasn’t _that_ kind of Alpha and had always believed in the efficiency of a gentler approach.

“Will.” he murmured and paused until the Primal looked at him again. “I am not trying to analyze you. I want to help you. Let me be your friend.” he purred, his voice soothing and low.

Will stared at the Alpha for a moment.

“Because I’m a Primal.” he stated nonchalantly and wanted to look out of the window again, but a firm hand caught his chin and held him in place. The touch was unexpected and overwhelming. Will couldn’t stop his body from reacting and tilted his head to nuzzle the Alpha’s hand. He quickly regained his control and pulled back. He didn’t miss the sudden scent of arousal in the car, though he wasn’t sure if it was his or Hannibal’s. If the situation had affected the doctor at all he hid it well. Completely collected he said:

“I object reducing someone to their gender. Above all, you are a person, Will.”

The Omega stayed silent for the rest of the car ride. When they reached the police station, a heady mix of Alpha-scents filled the air and Will was glad he had decided to disguise his origins for today. The conference room of the station was buzzing and the oversensitive Primal froze for a moment, unsettled by a room full of distressed Alphas. It wasn’t until he felt a warm, reassuring hand between his shoulder blades that he was able to move again, and quickly sought out Jack in the crowded room, Hannibal following closely behind him.

“Will, Dr. Lecter. I have bad news.” the Alpha grunted furiously, but quickly lowered his voice when the young Omega winced a bit. “The local police don’t believe the killer is an Omega.  They think it’s a waste of time to look into it.” Jack shot dark glares at some of the Alphas around him, indicating that he’d already had his fair share of disagreements about that today. Then he looked back to the pair in front of him and frowned. “We’re on our own.”

After three hours of research, Jack went to get coffee. A lot of coffee. When three hours turned into 6 hours, the station cleared out a bit, most of the Alphas heading home. After ten hours, Will realized his Beta cologne was starting to wear off. He looked around to see that there still was an considerable amount of Alphas around him, but then he caught Hannibal’s gaze and when the doctor smiled warmly, reassuringly, Will relaxed a bit. It was in the early morning hours when a young Beta girl finally brought the break in their case. She had been a close friend of one of the victims and suddenly appeared at the station, seeming very upset. Jack quickly led her away from the officers to interview her with Will in privacy. She was shaking a bit when she started talking.

“I… I already talked to the police. The officer who interviewed me told me to call when I remembered anything else and….. god, I didn’t think it was important at first… but… the day before he died…” Will noticed how the Beta couldn’t bring herself to say her dead friend’s name and immediately empathized with the poor, sobbing girl. “….he told me something, nothing important, just… chit-chat, you know… He was like that… So…he told me he and his mate had been in a shopping mall, buying an… Omega-collar.” The young empath couldn’t help but frown in disgust at the words. “… and he just mentioned that guy… who was watching them. He creeped him out, you know, the way he stared…. He said the guy worked at the mall, in the shop opposite the fountain.” The small Beta stared up at them with teary eyes and Jack quickly assured her she had helped them a lot and lead her out.

An hour later, Will was at the mall with some officers, while Jack went for the suspect’s apartment with a SWAT- Team. Hannibal had stayed behind at the station, naturally Jack couldn’t answer for taking a civilian into the field.

The young Primal clutched at his gun, his false Beta scent completely gone now, and gave the officers orders to split up. It felt incredibly wrong to him to be giving orders to Alphas, even more now that he smelled of Omega, of _Primal,_ but he knew he couldn’t worry about that now. They were chasing a serial killer, and thank god the officers had enough decency to realize the priority list too and followed his orders, although some of them eyed him warily, a few even angrily. They were an uneven number, so Will went alone while the officers searched the mall in pairs.

After the young empath had cleared the third empty store, he was starting to give up on finding the suspect here and hoped Jack had had more luck, but then suddenly he heard a muffled sound from one of the changing cubicles. He slowly stepped forward, his gun cautiously raised, and tore the curtain aside. He jerked his weapon up, quickly sorting out the situation. Their suspect was standing in front of him, his pupils blown and a huge hunting knife in his hand pressed against a young female Beta’s throat. The girl looked at Will helplessly, tears streaming down her face and Will cocked the gun, ready to shoot when suddenly….he inhaled.

“You…” he brought out and stared at the man. “You’re a Primal.”

His voice was more of a gasp and he unconsciously lowered his gun a bit. Will had never been even remotely interested in politics whatsoever, he didn’t care what the killer’s motives had been, even if personally he agreed that Omegas deserved their freedom. But then again, that’s what he had been bred to think. The man had a hostage, an innocent Beta who would die if Will didn’t do something, but… he couldn’t shoot. He couldn’t shoot a Primal. He couldn’t shoot a _brother._ The killer stared at him, sniffing and recognizing, and a stunned look spread across his face.

“What is your name, brother?” he asked Will, not moving the knife an inch away from the Beta’s throat.

“Will.” the young man answered, unable to bring himself to raise the gun again. “And yours?”

“Anthony.”

“Anthony… Let her go. She doesn’t have anything to do with this. She’s innocent.”

“No one is innocent! The entire society has ignored and even welcomed our oppression for decades! This is what we were made to do- to bring change!” Anthony hissed and tightened his grip on the Beta.

“No, Anthony. We were made to show that Omegas can be strong too. If you kill her, you act like an extremely cruel Alpha would. There is nothing strong about that. Being something you’re not-“

“Whose side are you on, brother?” Anthony interrupted him. “I’m not ‘being something I’m not’, I’m being exactly who I was supposed to be! I was supposed to change, to _cleanse_ this world! As were you.”

“Killing other Omegas won’t change anything, Anthony. And killing an innocent Beta definitely wouldn’t either.”

Will thought he might have succeeded, because for a moment it looked like Anthony was going to drop the knife. Instead, he suddenly made a harsh movement at the Beta’s jugular, ready to slice and Will shot without thinking. Twice. The sound echoed in his ears, and he felt each bullet as if he had been shot himself. His head was pounding, and the last thing he saw before the world turned black was the Beta who stormed towards him with a worried expression.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will deals with the aftermath of killing a Primal

“He was experiencing extreme emotional pressure, that’s where the blackouts come from. Luckily it didn’t cause any permanent brain damage, but it might as well have. Primals are extremely sensitive. Back in France, I once treated a Primal who went into a coma after watching a brother commit suicide. I can only imagine what killing one himself must have done to the poor boy’s nervous system.” Dr. Charles Simmont said.

He was a wise old Beta who used to work for Primal Instincts, and Hannibal had known him for years. The neurologist had been retired for almost five years now, but once Hannibal had heard what had happened to Will he had pulled all necessary strings to fly in the best of the best. Will hadn’t been responsive for over a week now, waking up for short periods of time, but he was never fully present and snapped back almost immediately. Hannibal hadn’t really slept in days. He knew he was acting like a worried mate but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“He’ll be ok, Hannibal, but there’s a chance he might suffer from some side effects, varying from severe memory loss to temporary blindness. Right now it’s important that he wakes up. He is caught in a sort of coma; a shock-triggered unconsciousness. You could say his brain is ‘stuck’. He needs to find a way out of the loop.” the Beta said calmingly. He could sense how much the young Primal meant to his friend. He was slightly confused to see that they weren’t mated, but he’d known Hannibal long enough to know better than to ask.

 “We can’t really do anything but wait until then.” he added softly. He could help the Primal once he was awake, but with his brain still being affected by shock it would be dangerous to do so now, while he was unconscious. Will had to _decide_ to wake up, but the doctor didn’t know if the young man would be strong enough. In all honestly, he was amazed that the Primal was still alive. One of the less commonly known reasons Primal Instincts had failed, was that while Primals showed a considerably stronger willingness to resort to violence than Omegas or even some Alphas, they also showed an extremely strong bond to their breed. He had come across Primals who could kill Alphas, Betas or even Omegas without turning a hair but had almost gone insane when one of their siblings had been hurt. Never had he heard of a Primal who had killed another Primal and lived to tell.

The doctor wasn’t going to mention any of this to Hannibal; not only was most of the information confidential, he also knew that distressing the Alpha would do no good. Will needed someone to be strong for him, maybe the empath could pick up that strength even in his coma-like state and use it for his advantage. If Will would have been bonded to anyone, this would be a lot easier. His mate could try to send him strength or at least encouragement through their bond, but like this the young man’s only chance was himself.

Hannibal thanked his friend and sat down next to Will’s bed again. He had spent almost 8 days in this hospital, in this very chair by Will’s side. The young Beta girl Will had saved occasionally came to visit and Hannibal found the only distraction in the long talks he had with her. She was very intelligent and mature for her age and Hannibal was impressed by her consistency in visiting a stranger she had only met once. She owed him her life, of course, but the young girl came every other day and never grudgingly so.

Those were the thoughts Hannibal was preoccupied with, when Will suddenly started to squirm. The Alpha immediately stood and stepped closer to the bed. The Primal twitched for a while and it almost looked like he was having a seizure, but then he stilled and his nostrils quickly flared, once, twice as he scented his surroundings without opening his eyes.

“Hannibal?” he asked with a weak voice when he found a scent he recognized between the unsettling smells of medication, grief, pain and fear. A hospital, he realized. He hadn’t noticed he had called the Alpha by his first name, he could barely notice anything yet, but when he felt a warm hand on his he finally dared to open his eyes, as the touch jerked him into reality. The room was bright, too bright and he closed his eyes again as quickly as he had opened them. Second try, this time slower. After he had blinked a few times, he was sure he was completely back in reality.

“Will, do you remember what happened?” Hannibal asked softly. His hand was still on Will’s, resting there too long to be considered normal between an unmated Alpha and Omega. Will thought about withdrawing his hand but decided there were better things to do with his gradually returning strength. He inhaled deeply to calm himself and thought for a while.

“I shot a Primal.” he whispered, and felt Hannibal’s hand tighten. He looked directly at the doctor and asked with a shaky voice: “Is he dead?” He didn’t need to wait for the Alpha’s nod; he had already known the answer. Will swallowed hard and suddenly had trouble breathing. Hannibal seemed to notice immediately and took an inhalator from the nightstand to raise it to Will’s mouth. The Primal parted his lips and inhaled deeply a few times, until he felt less drowsy and his breathing had calmed.

“What about the Beta?” he asked, his voice a bit raspy. He slowly started to feel like himself again and withdrew his hand from the Alpha’s touch, even though his hand immediately felt cold and screamed to get the attention back. He shoved it underneath the blanket and looked at Hannibal questioningly.

“You saved her life, Will. She will probably come visit later. She seems to be very fond of you.” the Alpha said and stood to walk to the door and motion for Dr. Simmont to come.

When the Beta entered he couldn’t quite believe his eyes at first. Then he slowly approached the bed, looking at Will reverently. The young man had survived.

“Hello, Will. I’m Dr. Simmont.” he said calmly. The young Primal lifted his head and looked at him intensely.

“I remember you. You were… _there”_ he muttered and averted his eyes. The Beta swallowed. A lot of ugly things had happened during the project, a lot he hadn’t approved of, but he had been young and, like so many others, blinded by the idea of change; of accomplishing something; making a _difference._

His mother had been an Omega and he remembered all those times in his childhood when people would treat her like dirt and his father would treat her like a sex-toy. He had been _desperate_ to make a change, but he had soon realized that they were making matters worse. The way they were forced to treat the Omegas, the experiments they had to make in order to find out more about the new species… When he had tried to stop them, it was already too late. The project was running, the first successful breed of Primals had been created and no one had wanted to stop there. They had all overseen the fact that they were oppressing the Omegas in order to fight against the oppression.

“I’m sure you remember some terrible things, William, and whatever happened to you, I truly am sorry.” Dr. Simmont said and he meant it. He had never gotten the chance to apologize until now. The young Primal glared at him curiously with his intelligent, clear eyes before he dropped his gaze again.

“When can I leave?” he asked instead of commenting on the apology. Dr. Simmont pursed his lips and turned to check his medical data. The Primal’s heart rate was surprisingly calm.

“I can’t tell you for sure. You may be experiencing some mild seizures or other side effects of your trauma. We’ll have to keep you under observation for at least three weeks.” the Beta said.

Will surprised them all, but himself the most by answering:

“Dr. Lecter can observe me.”

He really hated hospitals and being under house arrest of the Alpha seemed at least a little less repelling. Dr. Simmont furrowed his brow in surprise and muttered:

“You and Dr. Lecter are not mated. It will take some paper work to place you under his official care.”

The new laws were _very_ strict about the definiteness of an Omega’s consent. Will suddenly realized he hadn’t even considered the fact that maybe Hannibal didn’t want to take care of him. As Dr. Simmont had said, they weren’t mates and Will had no intention of becoming mates, so why would the Alpha bother? The thought left him feeling strangely empty.

“If he wants to.” Will quickly said, slightly blushing.

“I would be honored.” Hannibal said with a warm smile and suddenly Will felt the hint of slick between his legs. Dr. Simmont nodded thoughtfully.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do. One more thing…” he said hesitantly. There was one important part that had to be checked, standard procedure by law whenever a Primal was hospitalized.

A Primal Omega had a lot more nerve cells than any other gender and after a few test objects had died due to a severe hypersensitivity of the brain, the scientists had created an additional nerve center in the Primals’ bodies. Externally, it wasn’t more than a skin mark on one of their shoulder blades, not even a deformation or a bulge, only a small, dark discoloration of the skin. It was called the Primal Stamp, and it was extremely delicate; the Primal was especially sensitive on the spot.  Bonds were said to be uniquely strong if they were sealed with an Alpha’s bite on the Stamp, though the project had never actually lasted long enough to prove that theory.

The Primal Stamp was an even more intimate part for a Primal than his genitals, so Will was glad that Hannibal respectfully left the room. The young empath was uncomfortable enough as it was, but he could sense that Dr. Simmont was an honorable and trustworthy person, despite his involvement in Primal Instincts. When the doctor carefully lifted his shirt and applied steady pressure to the Stamp, Will couldn’t hold back a loud moan and the Omega wanted to arch both into the touch and away from it. It had been so long since _anyone_ had touched his Stamp…

Having found no inflammation or spasms the doctor withdrew his hand and left after reminding Will he might experience side effects and telling him to stay calm should that occur.

When he was finally gone, Will dropped his head into the pillows and soon fell asleep again, too exhausted to form any clear thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the...  
> I honestly have no idea where all that came from, there must be some weird part of my brain that plans to actually create a new species....  
> So anyhow, Primal Stamps are now a thing, ok?


	4. Chapter 4

The Omega woke with a start when his unconscious picked up two Alphas fighting, somewhere close. Hannibal was sitting in the chair next to his bed again and hushed the Primal soothingly before growling at the direction of the door. Two of the surgeons were fighting outside and he was extremely furious at them for having woken his Omega.

_His_ Omega???

Hannibal growled again, this time at himself. He did not need a mate. In fact, a mate was the last thing he needed. The young Primal eyed him curiously, unsure about the reason behind his distress. Hannibal quickly masked it and smiled at Will.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. The Primal struggled with himself for a while before he shrugged.

“I don’t feel anything.” he said with a quiet voice.

“I think it would be more accurate to say you feel too much.” the Alpha stated softly.

“I shot a Primal, Hannibal.”

This time they were both very aware that Will had used Hannibal’s first name and the doctor had to suppress a smile.

“You also saved a young girl’s life and possibly the lives of many Omegas, if he would have kept killing.”

Will stayed silent.

The next moment, there was a knock at the door and a beautiful young Beta walked in. After looking again, Will recognized her. She looked very different when she wasn’t terrified, he noted. The girl smiled shyly.

“Hello, Mr. Graham. I’m Abigail.” she said hesitantly and extended her hand. Will sat up as well as he could without feeling nauseous and shook her hand. The girl's smile had something melancholic but it was genuine and warm. He felt himself smiling back.

“Please, call me Will.”

Her smile seemed to widen.

“Are you going to be ok?” she asked with a wary look at the heart monitor and the infusion next to Will’s bed. The Primal nodded.

“Probably. What about you?”

“I’m dealing. When something tragic happens we don’t really have another choice but to take it for what it is and move on.”

Will could tell that she was speaking out of experience and frowned at the thought. A girl of her age should not have to have such experience.

It was silent in the room for the moment while Abigail stared at the monitor. After a while she said hesitantly:

“You know, when I asked if you were gonna be ok I didn’t mean medically.”

“I know.” Will answered silently. The Beta looked at him and chewed on her lower lip.

“You didn’t have a choice…” she muttered quietly and stepped forward to squeeze his hand hesitantly. Hannibal had to suppress another growl upon the sight of someone else touching the Omega. He didn’t actually think the Beta was a threat of any kind; it was once again pure instinct. That was the moment Hannibal decided that even though he couldn’t have Will, he would make sure no one else would either.

Will and Abigail talked for a while. He told her about his dogs that were currently in a shelter, and she listened with a smile about the Primal’s eagerness. Hannibal sat and simply observed, watched the way Will’s eyes crinkled when he genuinely smiled, the way his lips parted a bit when he exhaled, the way his pals skin seemed to glisten in the dim sunlight that fell through the curtain. He wondered if all Primals were this beautiful. He’d seen photographs of course, documentaries, interviews, but Will seemed exceptional. Not just in his looks, he was beyond everything the Alpha had ever known.

When the young Beta left about an hour later, Will stayed silent for a while before he turned to Hannibal and said:

“I’m sorry about before. I wasn’t thinking, please don’t feel obliged to take me under your care.”

“Will, I am your friend. If this is what you wish, I will be more than glad to provide it to you.”

The Primal shifted in the bed uncomfortably, visibly uncertain of what to make of that statement. When he tilted his head to look towards the window, the curve of his neck suddenly lay so beautifully temptingly exposed to Hannibal that the Alpha’s fingernails dug into the armrests of his chair, clutching at something to prevent his instincts from forcing a reaction from him he would regret. Will swallowed, the movement almost sinfully displayed by his throat, and turned back to say something, when suddenly Jack entered the room. Without knocking, invading their brief, intimate moment of privacy. Hannibal shot the Alpha a fiery glance that didn’t go unnoticed and rose from his seat, positioning himself between Jack and Will. The agent returned Hannibal’s stare but dropped his gaze soon, knowing better than to challenge the doctor.

“I hope you’re feeling better Will. You need to take a look at this.” he muttered, his voice somewhat concerned. At first, Will thought he was talking about a case, but Jack wasn’t carrying a file. The Alpha searched the room for something until he found a remote and tossed it to the Primal. Will looked at him questioningly and Jack sighed.

“Any channel.” he said.

When Will turned on the small TV in the corner, he saw what Jack had meant. All three men were staring at the screen where a mother with a newborn child was to be seen.

>>The entire world held its breath today, when the state of Massachusetts announced that the first Primal Omega since 1999 has been born this morning. Teresa Jenkins, a 39 year old Primal, gave birth to her son Berwin at approximately 5a.m. The young mother and her Alpha were expecting a girl when she went into labor last night. The ultrasound scan they had taken a few months earlier proved to be inaccurate in more than one aspect, and after the doctors had taken genetic tests they realized the shocking and amazing miracle that she could only be giving birth to a Primal. Teresa and her baby are currently under observation in Boston Medical Center but the child appears to be completely healthy. The young mother is overwhelmed by this incredible gift and told us how she feels.

“I…I am so thankful to have been chosen to carry a treasure like my son. I… I didn’t believe it when they first told me, I thought I was hallucinating, I remember I said to my husband what the hell they gave me. But it was real. I gave birth to a Primal and… I can’t say… I can’t find words to express how privileged I feel. We… named him Berwin, because it means blessing and that’s what he is. Not just for my family, but for every Omega in this world. It… it seems like a fair exchange, we get another chance; another Primal after one has been taken from earth under such tragic circumstances. I don’t think-“<<

The screen went black. Will was clutching at the remote, slightly trembling and inhaled deeply. Jack looked at the young man uncertain and threw a questioning look at Hannibal. The doctor nodded and led Jack out of the room. Afterwards he moved to sit in his chair again, but reconsidered and sunk to the edge of Will’s bed instead. The Primal didn’t look at him, he was still staring at the black void that had shown a baby Primal mere seconds earlier.

“Will?” Hannibal asked calmly. The young man jerked his head up, staring at the Alpha, his eyes glassy.

“They blame me.” he brought out. Hannibal hushed him and answered.

“They lost a brother. So did you. When you pulled the trigger, you were triggering more than his death, but you were forced to, Will. You are not to be blamed for what happened, neither by them nor by yourself.”

“I wasn’t forced to. I chose to.” Will said monotonously, his face blank and pale.

“You chose to save the life of someone innocent by ending the life of someone bad. _They_ may be blinded by devastation but I see nothing but nobility in that.”

“You see nobility in ending a life?”

“I see nobility in treating life as it is. Some people idealize it, some underappreciate it and inevitably we all learn that we have underestimated it.

“So I saved a life through ending a life, and you’re saying _that_ is the right treatment? That it just weighs each other out?”

“You did not hesitate to allow yourself to be cruel when you had to. Through that cruelty, you spared Abigail a similar cruelty.”

The Primal didn’t answer, but he had stopped trembling and seemed calmer. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch the Alpha’s forearm. He ran his fingertips down to his wrist and over his fingers slowly, before he dropped his hand back to the bed.

When Dr. Simmont knocked on the door and asked to speak to Hannibal, the Alphas skin was still burning from the touch. Once they stood outside, the old Beta handed Hannibal a bunch of formulas.

“I talked to the head of the Hospital, dreadfully arrogant Alpha, and it took some patience, but all you and Will have to do is sign these papers and he’ll be enlisted under your official care for the following two months. It probably won’t take him that long to recover but better not take any risks.”

Hannibal took the pile and nodded at the Beta.

“Thank you, Charles, like so many times before, I owe you my profound gratitude.” he said, but Dr. Simmont waved him off.

“Please, Hannibal, you don’t owe me anything… Listen..” he said and hesitated for a moment. “I’m sure you’re aware that this… policy… you know, the concept of care-taking, is intended for mated couples…” the Beta stopped talking and glanced at Hannibal unsure. The Alpha stared at him with a stoic expression.

“What are you implying, Charles?”

“Nothing. Just, you know… Good luck I guess?” With a sheepish smile the doctor ducked his head and walked away quickly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a Primal Omega living with an Alpha for two months... What could possibly go wrong, right?


	5. Chapter 5

It had always been common for Alphas to take care of their mates in case of an illness. A mated Alpha had the right to take his Omega home after a hospitalization to nurse him back to health himself. Many Alphas didn’t want doctors or nurses touching their Omegas, and since Hospitals were obligated to provide the necessary medication, care-taking had never been a problem.

However, as mentioned, the concept had been developed  for _mated_ Alphas and Omegas. Dr. Simmont had managed to get the request through, but there were a lot of papers and agreements to sign. With a sigh Hannibal entered Will’s room, hoping the pile of files wouldn’t scare the Primal off and make him change his mind. He had already gotten more than used to the idea of having the young man in his house for the next weeks.

The Primal was staring out of the window, his neck once again exposed by the tilt of his head and the Alpha had to stare openly before he approached him.

“Dr. Simmont has provided us with the necessary files to conduct your release into my care.” Hannibal said, his voice even, leaving every possibility for a change of heart open. It didn’t come.

The Omega nodded and extended his had to reach for the files, his fingers brushing Hannibal’s as he took them. Will quickly jerked his hand back and almost dropped the files. He bowed his head to hide his blush and read through the contract briefly. He had already set a pen to the paper in order to sign it, when his eyes lingered on a line.

“It says here you can establish house rules for the time I’m under your care.” The young Primal looked up at the Alpha questioningly. “I’d like to know what those rules will be before I sign.” he said and dropped the hand holding the pen.

Hannibal hesitated for a moment. He had already thought about it when Charles had told him about the rules. It opened many possibilities for him, but again, he wasn’t _that_ kind of Alpha. However, he could not resist at least a little selfishness.

“As a matter of fact, there is just one rule I would like to establish.” he said and sat down on the chair next to Will’s bed again. “You are not allowed to cover up your scent while under my care, neither in public nor at my house.”

The Primal furrowed his brow but didn’t comment on the rule. Instead he considered for a moment and signed the contract. Then he looked up at to meet the Alpha’s eyes.

“Thank you… For doing this.” he muttered and handed him the file, watching how he signed as well, his signature elegantly curved.

“A simple favor for a friend.” Hannibal commented and put the pen down on the nightstand.

“No. It’s not.” Will answered. A favor for a mate. The words remained unspoken and filled the air heavily, making it almost impossible to breathe for the Omega for a moment. Hannibal frowned and was glad when a knock on the door interrupted the suggestive silence. A friendly nurse came in to collect the contract and told them Will would be officially discharged after one last blood test.

Once she had left, Will pursed his lips and searched for the right words. He felt like he needed to say something, but he couldn’t really form a proper sentence regarding the situation. It was so very uncommon and against all social boundaries. He didn’t quite understand Hannibal’s motivation to agreeing, didn’t understand his own motivation to suggesting, but he couldn’t deny the fact that, now that everything was settled, it left him feeling relieved and also anticipating…

Hannibal’s rule actually wasn’t as bizarre as it had seemed at first, being an Alpha it was understandable he would prefer the sweet Omega scent in his house to a false Beta scent; what puzzled Will though, was that he had deliberately forbidden to cover his scent up in public as well. Before he could think further about it, the door opened again and a doctor entered to take the blood sample. Will didn’t know the doctor, he had been expecting Dr. Simmont but when he asked for him he was told the doctor had already left the Hospital. Will was uncomfortable in the presence of the unknown doctor, even more so as he prepared a long needle, and without really thinking about it, Will gave a broken, silent Omega-whine in the direction of Hannibal. The Alpha immediately stiffened and tried to persuade the doctor to leave, even calling the Head of the Hospital to confirm that Hannibal had been a surgeon once and was more than capable of taking a blood sample from his Omega.

Hannibal winced visibly. He had thought it again. _His_ Omega. But Will _was_ his, at least for the following few weeks, wasn’t he?

When the doctor had left, Hannibal took the syringe and slowly stepped closer to the bed. Will eyed him warily, but made no move to pull away when Hannibal reached for his arm, interlacing their fingers and pulling it up, before he tapped against Will’s skin and led the needle into the prominent vein. The Omega winced a bit when the sharp object was pushed through his skin, but relaxed again when Hannibal ran a hand through his curls calmingly. Will could only lean into the touch, and when Hannibal withdrew the syringe and wanted to pull his hand back, Will’s hand came up to grasp Hannibal’s wrist and keep him right where he was. Hannibal looked surprised but smiled and continued to stroke through Will’s hair and massage his scalp while he called for a nurse to collect the blood sample.

A little over an hour later, the Primal was driven to Hannibal’s car in a wheelchair. He had protested heavily; it wasn’t like he couldn’t walk on his own, but the nurse didn’t seem to care much and Hannibal seemed amused, if anything. Will glared at him sulkily as he stood up to take a seat in the car. Sure enough, his knees gave in, and if it hadn’t been for the Alpha’s refined reflexes and his strong arm that immediately caught Will around the waist, the Primal would have landed on the ground. So much for being able to walk on his own.

The sudden proximity was paralyzing. Hannibal’s arm was firmly wrapped around Will’s waist, Will was clutching at the Alpha’s suit for support and their bodies were flush from their hips upwards. Will could feel Hannibal’s breath above his ear, his own nose buried in the crook of the older man’s neck. He had to fight down the urge to inhale deeply, to get as much of the strong, fiery Alpha-scent he was clouded in. To fill himself with the smell completely until he was too drowsy to think.

“Careful.” Hannibal whispered into his curls and Will finally pulled back, pushing himself away with such force that almost had him stumbling again. He quickly supported himself on the car.

He cursed everything in that moment. Himself for having been mindless. Dr. Simmont for having failed to tell him he would have difficulties with balance. The nurse for not having pushed the wheelchair closer to the car. Hannibal for having prevented him from falling. Hannibal for being so damn strong. Hannibal for smelling so ridiculously staggering. Hannibal for-

“Will? I was under the impression you would like to leave this Hospital, but if you’d rather stay in the parking lot a while longer, I am sure that could be arranged as well.”

Hannibal for smiling so smugly. Hannibal for making smug seem gorgeous.

“Tempting, but I have a vague feeling your house might be a more comfortable accommodation,” the Primal answered dryly and quieted his thoughts.

He slowly let go of the car and tried to stand on his own in order to open the door and get in. The car drive was quiet, Will drifting in and out of sleep until they arrived at Hannibal’s house. The young Primal stared at the mansion. It was a typical Alpha-house, and he hated to admit that he momentarily tripped over the thought of what it would be like to live there. Not just for two months.  Hannibal noticed Will’s gaze lingering on the house and smiled slightly while opening the passenger door to offer the Omega his arm and help him out. Will ignored the arm and tried to stand on his own, more careful and successful than before.

“It’s a nice house,” he said at length, still staring at the building. “If you like to openly display wealth, power and sophistication, that is,” he added.

“I find it interesting how you seem to indulge in a general negativity regarding anything that is unfamiliar to you,” the Alpha answered, taking a hold of Will’s upper arm to steady him regardless of the young man’s defense.

“It’s not the unfamiliar I criticize. It’s the acquainted. You’re not the first rich Alpha I met, Hannibal.”

“And naturally, the behavior of your previous encounters has to reflect my own. Will, I was under the impression you already understood that I differ from most others of my kind.”

“There’s a difference between behavior and standing. You might not be like most Alphas but your social status triggers certain expectations. Expectations that you act  upon, not because you want to but because it’s necessary. You aren’t a textbook-Alpha, but you might act like one regardless, simply because your circle of acquaintances expects you to.”

Hannibal was about to answer when Will’s phone rang. The Primal stopped and reached for his pocket, as slow as necessary in order not to lose balance again. He groaned when he saw who the caller was.

“Hello, Alana.”

_“Will, why didn’t you call me??? I have to find out through Jack? Really? How could he pull you into-“_

“Alana, he didn’t pull me into anything. It was my decision to help on the case, and if I would have known that the killer was a Primal beforehand, I would have said no, naturally.”

_“Naturally. Don’t try to lie to me. Your behavior is self-destructive, do you know that?? Can’t you see what this job is doing to you? You could have died, Will!”_

“I know you ha-“

“ _Oh, I’m not finished! That’s not remotely it! You agreed to be taken under Dr. Lecter’s care? An unbonded Alpha?? You could have just asked me! Do you have any idea-“_

Will stopped listening right there. Alana seemed to be _really_ angry, and although he knew the Omega was only worried, he couldn’t help but feel irritated. It was his life after all.

“The reason I didn’t tell you anything is because I knew this is how you’d react. And before you say anything further, I’m not quitting my job, Alana.”

_“Will, what else has to happen for you to finally see what this is doing to you? It’s killing you. You were lucky this time but what about the next time? Or the time after that?”_

“That is something you can worry about when it happens. I know what I’m doing, Alana.”

_“That’s exactly what has me worried. You know what you’re doing and you still keep going.”_

“Can we discuss this another time?” Will asked and glanced at Hannibal, who stood next to him, his hand on the Omega’s upper arm, waiting patiently.

_“We can discuss it in one hour. I’m on my way to Hannibal’s.”_

Before Will could say anything, she had hung up. The Primal stared at his phone for a moment and quickly put two and two together.

“You failed to mention we share a mutual friend.”

“I was unconscious of the fact you didn't know. Had it not been for Alana, Jack wouldn’t have contacted me.”

Will had to bite back a sigh. Of course. First she recommends an unbonded Alpha to keep an eye on an equally unbonded Primal and then she freaks out when things get complicated. It wasn’t that Will didn’t appreciate her concern, he just hated how she didn’t seem to believe he could take care of himself. Considering he was currently clutching to an Alpha in order to stand, maybe he couldn’t. He pulled his arm free rather forcefully, only to stumble once again, but he regained balance just in time.

“Well, she’s on her way here.”

“I should expect so. I asked her to come.”

Will glared at Hannibal and took a shaky step towards the house.

“You what? And you didn’t think I should have had the right to know?”

Hannibal followed Will’s movements, walking very close to him but not touching him anymore, just always ready to catch the Primal should he fall again.

“I thought it would be better not to upset you. You seem to abhor the idea of someone worrying about you.”

“Remarkable observation. You should be a psychiatrist.” Will replied sarcastically.

“Is that the reason you are not mated?” Hannibal asked, ignoring Will’s remark.

Will stopped abruptly and turned to face Hannibal, the blue storm in his eyes raging. Hannibal returned his gaze calmly.

“Forgive my curiosity, but I can only imagine the effect you must have on most Alphas,” the doctor added.

“And of course most Alphas must have such an effect on me as well, right? It’s in my nature after all.” Will hissed and glared at Hannibal, holding eye contact longer than he ever had in his life.

“You are twisting my words Will. Your distress is triggered by a defense mechanism. Why do you feel the need to defend yourself? Are we not friends?”

The Omega huffed and averted his eyes. He took another step towards the house and said, without turning to Hannibal:

“Friends don’t make inquiries about the other’s status.”

Hannibal smiled amused and stepped to Will’s side again.

“Will, rest assured that I am in no way interested in mating.”

“Good. Neither am I.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally not interested. 
> 
>  
> 
> My mother asked me if she could read some of the stuff I'm always writing... Yeeaaa... well, not happening mom. Just imagine...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana is worried (with good reason) and Will tells Hannibal a bit about Primal Instincts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that the tags have changed.

Will was sitting in Hannibal’s kitchen and quietly followed the argument between Alana and the Alpha. He didn’t like the fact that she was here _at all_. He didn’t like the fact that she treated him like something extremely fragile, he didn’t like the fact that she and Hannibal were discussing him as if he wasn’t present , but least of all did he like the fact that she was an Omega. Standing way too close to Hannibal, in his opinion. He didn’t quite know what to make of the fact that the two of them were friends. She was beautiful, unbonded and seemed to be more than a little interested. Hannibal’s question resonated in his head.

_Is that the reason you are not mated?_

Perhaps he should have returned the question. Why on earth wasn’t Hannibal mated? He was wealthy, incredibly smart and incredibly good looking. Additionally he had respect, a quality endless Omegas searched for and desired in their Alphas. To be seen as more than a pet. Hannibal had the strange talent of seeming superior without acting superior. In the contrary, he treated Alphas, Omegas, Betas and, as it turned out, Primals alike. He didn’t care for breed, he cared for behavior. For manners. But Alana Bloom for example was courteous, sophisticated, beautiful and smart. There certainly were many Omegas like her just waiting for an Alpha like Hannibal to claim them. So why wasn’t he mated? And why did Will care so much? With an angry grunt he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the pair in front of him again. It seemed their conversation was moving in circles.

“Alana, I assure you to take good care of Will. There is nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about? Hannibal, things happen. I’m not only talking about Will’s health. Your biology also sets certain…risks.”

“Will and I came to agree upon a contract we both signed out of free will. We both agree upon the fact that we are in no way interested in mating and since Will’s biology allows him to control his heat, there is no risk we are taking with this arrangement.”

Alana threw her hands in the air desperately, and Will wondered, for the split of a second, if part of the reason she was against this was because she was jealous.

“Alana, you really don’t need to worry. I’m fine and I trust Hannibal to be capable of making sure it stays like that the next few weeks,” Will said, finally out of his reverie and speaking for himself.

“Will, every study about Primals there is says you should be dead. No one knows how you could have possibly survived this, so don’t just tell me you’re ‘fine’ and expect me to stop worrying.”

“Well, I did survive. I don’t give a damn about studies. I’m alive and therefore there’s nothing to worry about,” Will snapped, annoyance spreading on his features.

Alana shook her head, anything but convinced but she realized that arguing wouldn’t get her anywhere. With a last, desperate sigh she picked up her jacket and pursed her lips.

“Alright. I’m still against this, but since you both seem so sure about it… Well, I’ll call.”

Will nodded, both glad and a bit disappointed as she turned to leave.

“Good bye Alana,” he muttered as Hannibal led her out.

“Bye, Will. Take care, ok?” she smiled weakly and then they were gone. Will let out a breath that seemed to have been stuck in his throat ever since she had entered the building. He took a gulp from the warm tea Hannibal had made for him, as the Alpha returned to the kitchen.

“She doesn’t seem to have much faith in either of us,” Will stated after he had swallowed the fruity tasting tea.

“She worries. It is understandable. Our situation is uncommon, to say the least. As for your health, she was quite reasonable. I worry as well, Will. Dr. Simmont seemed to be convinced you would never wake up again.”

There was a certain undertone to Hannibal’s words that Will couldn’t place, but it made his heart clench.

“All due respect to your friend, considering his previous occupation, I wouldn’t trust Dr. Simmont’s judgment if my life depended on it.” _Which it kinda did_ , he thought. Will couldn’t help sounding bitter and regretted saying anything at all, knowing questions would follow. Hannibal furrowed his brow and tried to catch Will’s gaze.

“There is not much I know about Charles’ involvement in Primal Instincts. I met him as a simple neurologist, not as the man he must once have been. The man he was then earned my trust and my respect, regardless of my ignorance of his past.”

“The entire world is ignorant as to what Primal Instincts actually was. They see it as a heroic deed, a failed revolution.”

“How do you see it?” Hannibal asked, reaching out to take Will’s empty cup and refill it.

“As a red line someone drew in history, simply out of fear, rage and yearning for power. A line that cut through the lives of many good, innocent people, but the direction the line was taking was enough for the world to oversee that.”

“Primal Instincts desired freedom and justice. They worked for a greater good, but no good is great enough to tolerate baseness as a necessity to achieve it,” Hannibal stated and held the cup out to Will. The Primal took it, his fingers lingering on Hannibal’s for a moment but gone so quick it felt like an imagination they had ever touched.

“It was more than baseness. It was… _primal_. Omegas captured and treated like objects, like lifeless vessels to be filled with novelty that would prevent them from being treated like objects again.” Will realized he had started shaking upon remembering his time in the camp and drew in a deep breath to calm down. Hannibal eyed him, his expression not readable.

“Did they ever hurt you, Will?” he finally asked after a long moment of silence. Will huffed out a sharp laugh that was anything but humorous.

“Define ‘hurt’,” he spat out and hid his trembling lips behind the cup as he took a hasty gulp of the tea.

Suddenly it all came back to him. The restraints, the drugs that made him unable to feel his limbs, the small room, the thick air, the feeling of always being watched, the pain, the shocks, the ever present screams of other Omegas, the dozen different needles that were shoved into his skin daily.

 He realized his sight had gotten blurry and a single tear travelled down his face. Hannibal frowned and cupped his cheek. His thumb stroked over his skin and gently wiped the salty reminder of Will’s past away. Will didn’t have the strength or willpower to pull away, and leaned into the touch instead, his eyes slipping closed and urging two more tears down his cheeks. Hannibal caught both of them and continued to thumb over Will’s cheekbone even as the tears were gone. The young man slowly calmed down and after they sat in silence for a few minutes, he opened his eyes and quickly pulled back, almost frantically so.

“I…I need to be alone,” he muttered under his breath and all but stormed out of the kitchen. Hannibal gazed after him, his insides boiling with rage. He made a mental note to hunt down every single person who had ever laid a finger on Will and stood to add Charles’ business card to his recipe folder without a second thought.

Before he took the card into his hands, he stared at the wet remains on his fingers and slowly guided them up to his mouth. He licked the liquid off, worshipping the flavor even though it was drenched with sadness and fear. It still tasted purely of Will. He felt the urge to run after the Primal, to shove him into his mattress and taste body fluids of a different kind. As he felt himself hardening, he pushed those thoughts away and focused on the small folder, skipping through it until he reached ‘S’ and placed Dr. Simmont’s card right between a rude chauffeur and an unbelievably intrusive saleswoman.

After he had put the folder away, he walked to the guestroom and knocked gently. Many narrow-minded people wouldn't see reason to; it was _his_ house, _he_ was the Alpha. He waited a few moments, but when no response came he opened the door somewhat worried. Will was lying on the bed, his flannel shirt on the chair underneath the window and his chest exposed, naked down to his hips. The Primal was sleeping, and going by the way his eyelids continuously twitched, his dreams were anything but peaceful. Hannibal stood in the door, his hand still on the knob, his knuckles turning white. The Omega’s skin was pale, his frame lithe and his waist so slender and delicate it almost seemed feminine. The window was half open and the room rather chilly, and Hannibal’s eyes caught the young man’s nipples, dark and hardened from the cold. A shudder ran through the Alpha’s body, and all self-control was at a loss. As he finally released his grip on the doorknob and went over to shut the window, he was hopelessly, painfully hard. He debated if he could trust himself to go any closer to the Primal, but when he saw the goose bumps on the young man’s skin, the protective feeling Will seemed to have planted in his stomach took the decision from him and he stepped closer and draped a blanket over the Omega, trying his best not to inhale too deeply. The temptation was big enough as it was.

Hannibal had intended to leave, he really had, but something about the Primal, sleeping so soundly in his house, in his guest room, stopped him. Will’s presence alone seemed to tie him to the young man’s side like a solid chain. With a sigh, Hannibal sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through those soft curls, like he had so often when Will had been in his coma. He threaded his fingers and twisted locks until the Omega stirred and opened his eyes. Will shifted, acknowledging the blanket draped around him, acknowledging the hand stroking through his hair and maybe it was his sleepy state, maybe it were his still wrecked emotions from the small break down before, but instead of pulling back, far away from that soothing hand, he closed his eyes again and began to purr.

The sound sent even more blood rushing down to Hannibal’s groin and before he could stop himself, he leaned down and covered Will’s mouth with his own. The Primal let out a surprised sound but didn’t stop purring as he parted his lips and let Hannibal’s tongue slip past them. The hand in his hair tightened and tugged to optimize the angle and Will stared sucking on Hannibal’s tongue greedily as it was shoved deeper. The Primal felt slick gushing between his legs and grasped Hannibal’s shirt to pull him closer, to have his body entirely covered with the Alpha’s, suddenly feeling incredibly, unbearably _empty._ The doctor however, abruptly yanked away from the Primal, tearing a loud gasp from both of them. As soon as he had brought enough distance between them, Will’s head started to clear up a bit and he was able to glance through the fog of desire to get a glimpse of a rational thought. Hannibal was standing completely still, trying to collect himself and regain his breath before he cleared his throat.

“I am terribly sorry, Will. My actions were uncalled for,” he said, the words coming out a  lot more breathy than he had intended them to. Will swallowed hard, tasting the ghost of Hannibal’s mouth and sat up in the bed, quickly pulling the blanket up to cover his bare chest.

“No, I…I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have…” he stammered. It really had been his fault. Any Alpha, even one  with such refined self-control as Hannibal, was powerless against an Omega-purr, and even though there were a number of frequencies Primals could take on, this had undeniably been the one, initial purr all Omegas were able of producing. So he had, fully aware of the effect it would have on the Alpha, let his instincts take over. Any other Alpha probably would have knotted him before he could have formed a clear thought, so maybe a kiss was getting off easy.

Hannibal cleared his throat again, tearing Will’s attention back on him and moved to leave the room.

“I take the full responsibility for what happened, Will. It was not warranted in any way to intrude you. Again, I am terribly sorry. I should leave. Please call should you need anything,” Hannibal said, avoiding to look at Will, not wanting to see the Primal’s face flushed, his hair disheveled, his lips slightly swollen and his blue eyes storming.

“No, please stay,” Will said, unable to stop himself. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Can we just….pretend this never happened?” he asked, staring up at the ceiling as if searching for an answer there.

“I would welcome it,” Hannibal answered, audibly relieved at the Primal’s reaction. He went across the room to sit down in the chair in the corner and finally looked at Will again, his gaze lingering on his lips for only a moment.

Will closed his eyes again, listening to Hannibal’s breathing for a while, before he decided to literally pretend nothing had happened and asked:

“How did you meet Dr. Simmont?”

“Charles and I worked at the same hospital.”

“You were a surgeon,” Will stated, faintly remembering the argument between Hannibal and the Head of the hospital. “Why did you quit?”

“For a number of different reasons,” Hannibal answered vaguely. “Charles and I remained friends however. He never talked about his past.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Will replied and averted his eyes to stare out of the window.

“Will,” Hannibal said softly. It was obvious the Omega had a lot of suppressed rage, grief and angst buried inside. Fascinating as it was, he genuinely wanted to help him. “What did they do to you?”

The Primal’s eyes narrowed and he smiled, but it was sad and bitter and looked more like a grimace.

“You keep abandoning your intention of not acting as a therapist,” Will said and felt new tears burning behind his eyes.

“My most essential intention is to help you,” Hannibal simply answered and that broke the wall. A few silent tears started running down Will’s face and he pressed his eyes closed, as if to shut out reality.

“There was this… medication. They gave it to us sometimes. I…I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel my arms or legs. Whatever they did, I couldn’t do anything but be completely pliable. I often wake up at night to that same feeling… That paralysis.” Will took a deep breath and continued.

“There were also… the collars. They used them to have better control… They were shock collars. When someone acted out… they’d just push that button.” The Omega’s voice broke, and despite everything that had just happened, Hannibal rose from his seat and crouched down next to the bed, taking Will’s hand in his.

“But…that wasn’t the worst.” Will chewed on his lower lip and pressed his eyes together even tighter, some more tears dwelling up. The Primal visibly struggled and Hannibal squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“Will,” he said soothingly. “You don’t have to tell me.”

The Primal squeezed his hand back, his grip almost painful for a moment and shook his head. He wet his lips and his features softened a bit, though his eyes remained pressed shut.

“No. I want to,” he said quietly and took a deep breath. “Naturally, there weren’t many Alphas involved. But… those who were… they would _take care of us_ during our heats.” Will’s voice was barely a whisper and Hannibal could tell how much the young man struggled to bring out those words. “It was meant to be civil, but some of the Alphas were… anything but.”

Hannibal had to restrain himself from asking for names. The anger he felt was beyond his usual emotions, a feeling stronger than any other feeling he had had since his childhood. When he inhaled deeply to calm himself, he got a full taste of Will’s scent and quickly stood up and released the Primal’s hand. He couldn’t lose control again. Even though he wanted nothing more than to hold the broken creature, to comfort him. When he opened his mouth to say something, Will interrupted and snapped:

“Don’t. I don’t need pity. What happened is my burden; and _mine_ alone. If I couldn’t handle it I wouldn’t be the person I am.”

Hannibal couldn’t suppress an affectionate smile at the reluctance. Even though it could be considered rude, Hannibal was intrigued by the Primal’s defensiveness. He understood how it had developed now.

“Pity is an emotion without any true use or purpose, yet men feel compelled to show it. I don’t intend to pity you, Will. I look at you and see nothing but strength.”

Will glanced at him, their eyes momentarily meeting before he blinked away.

“Thank you,” he muttered after a while. Hannibal smiled.

“You should rest, Will. I will prepare dinner,” he said and reached for the door handle.

When he was gone, Will dropped his head into the covers.

What the hell just happened?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you ever just stand in a group of people and think of all the porn you've read and stare at the others and think "THEY DON'T KNOW"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will consults Beverly about what happened.

Will couldn’t even think of going back to sleep. Not now, that _this_ had happened. He stared at the ceiling and listened to the faint sounds of Hannibal working in the kitchen. How was he supposed to act around the Alpha now? How could he even look at him, when he kept feeling those demanding, passionate lips on his?

The kiss hadn’t meant anything. It was simple biology. Just _biology_. Right?

Will slowly realized that he had no idea how to deal with this situation. He would spend the next eight weeks in this house, this wouldn’t just go away. He couldn’t just dodge this. It became clear that with his utter lack of knowledge in social norms, he wasn’t going to figure this out by himself. He needed a neutral opinion. He hesitated for a while but decided that he didn't have any other options. This wouldn't just go away. He reached for his phone.

"Beverly?"

"Will! I'm so glad to hear from you! How's the brain?"

Will huffed and shrugged even though she couldn't see him.

"Better I guess.”

"Yeah, I bet. Dr. Lecter, huh?" The Beta’s undertone was beyond wolfish.

Will grimaced. Of course Alana had already discussed it with her.

"That's...um, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Is it?" She sounded delighted.

"Yeah. I need a...second opinion."

"On?"

Will pursed his lips.

"You can't mention this to Alana, do you understand?"

"Will, Alana is my best friend. I don't keep secrets from her."

"Beverly, please."

He must have sounded truly desperate, because the Beta sighed and after a while she agreed.

"Fine. Ok. But you owe me. Now, what's so shocking I can't tell Alana about it?"

"You know I'm not interested in mating," Will stated hesitantly.

"I know you've got trust issues and have a major problem with allowing yourself to be happy."

"I kissed Dr. Lecter."

“WHAT”

Will almost dropped the phone at the volume her voice had taken.

“Or, he kissed me. I don’t know. It just…suddenly happened.”

“You kissed Dr. Lecter,” she echoed, apparently having difficulty to apprehend the meaning of those words. Will already regretted telling her.

“So wait… You kissed him. You _just_ kissed him?” she asked and for a moment Will had the feeling she was disappointed.

“I think a kiss was quite enough.”

“So nothing else happened?”

“Beverly, you’re missing the point. I’m not interested in mating, and neither is he!”

“Then why did you kiss?”

“Because maybe Alana was right. Maybe there’s no version of this not ending in a disaster.”

“Now you’re being overdramatic.”

“I’ve been here for less than one day, Beverly. And I completely lost control.”

“Will, you’re a Primal. Isn’t it supposed to be easy for you to stay in control?”

“Isn’t that what I was implying?”

“Listen to what _I’m_ implying.”

“You’re implying this wasn’t a loss of control?”

“I’m implying that maybe this isn’t about biology.”

“You’ll have to be more specific than that.”

“Oh Will, for someone who can slip into anyone’s mind you sure have your wires crossed when it comes to your own.”

“In the moment I just have my _wires crossed_ as to what you’re saying.”

“It’s supposed to be easy for you to control your _instincts_. Not to be a slave to your biology. But that doesn’t mean you can control your _feelings_.”

Will was taken aback for a moment. He closed his eyes and thought, almost forgetting he was still on the phone. Bev waited patiently for the outburst she knew was coming.

“Feelings aren’t something I just let into my brain. If I would have _feelings_ for Dr. Lecter I would never have come here. I know my mind, Beverly. This was simple biology. Feelings don’t have anything to do with this.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then what did you want a second opinion on?”

He could hear her smirk and pressed his lips into a tight line. For a moment he was struggling for words. _Damn it_ would have been accurate. Instead he growled at his phone and hung up. Quite rude, but he knew she didn’t mind. In the contrary, she was probably delighted. Him hanging up had just proven her point.

Will pursed his lips and shifted in the comfortable bed. He couldn’t stand just lying there anymore, he had to do something, anything. With a sigh he got up and paced around in the guest room for a while, until a divine smell reached his nostrils. He got up and walked towards the kitchen, but changed his mind and headed to the library instead.

Without any real passion he picked out a book that appealed to him and started reading, recognizing letters rather than actually comprehending sentences. Suddenly the scent of the room changed and Will looked up to find Hannibal standing a few feet away, watching him with a warm smile. Will smiled back almost automatically.

“Dinner is ready. Will you join me at the table or would you prefer to eat in the guest room?”

Will could sense this was something very uncommon for Dr. Lecter. The mere offer of having dinner anywhere other than the dining room. That, and the fact that he was irritated for being treated as if he was too sick to _sit at a table,_ led him to decide quickly, although he could have done without more of Hannibal’s presence today. With a scowl he said:

“I would _prefer_ if you didn’t treat me like an ill child.”

Hannibal’s eyes betrayed amusement even though his face remained stoic.

“Would you be kind enough to help me set the table, then?” he asked and extended his hand to help Will up. An open invitation.  No. A precaution against the Primal falling again. It would be rude to ignore it. He only wanted to help. Will took the hand and let Hannibal pull him to his feet, their hands remaining entangled for a bit longer than necessary. The Omega pulled his hand free and followed Hannibal into the kitchen, staring at the Alpha’s back disconcerted.

_Just biology._

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! If you don't have anything important to do (which I suppose you don't because you're reading a story about grown men partly behaving like animals) why don't you stop by on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BiatchPleas) ? :) (I have so far escaped that time- and life-sucking monster known as tumblr.)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is increasingly unsure about his feelings while Hannibal's motives are questionable as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all seemed to have liked Bev in the last chapter, so here's more of her! :)

Will shifted on his seat and cursed his pride. He was incredibly dizzy and wished he would have taken Hannibal’s offer to eat in the guestroom. The simple idea of a _bed_ seemed to caress Will’s pounding head. The food was delicious but Will was aware of Hannibal’s eyes on him the entire time, making his head hurt all the more. When he was done he slipped from his seat. The last thing he felt before the world suddenly grew black were strong arms catching him.

*

Will’s eyes snapped open. He felt trapped, caged and after he inhaled once he knew why. He was completely, entirely surrounded by the scent of _Alpha._ The scent of Hannibal. He sat up with a start, despite the drowsy feeling he still had and realized he was in Hannibal’s room; more precisely in his bed. Will remembered the dinner, the pounding headache and then suddenly- nothing. Had he lost consciousness? He heard a sound and the door to the room opened. Hannibal appeared with a tray in his hands. His features seemed to soften as he saw Will sitting up.

“You’re awake. Do you remember what happened?”

Will shook his head.

“Did I pass out?”

“You suddenly collapsed. I called Charles and he confirmed what I feared. You were suffering a mild seizure. Here, take this,” Hannibal put the tray down and took a small, blue pill between his thumb and his index finger. Instead of handing it to Will, he pressed it against the Primal’s lips and Will opened his mouth obediently. When his upper lip brushed Hannibal’s index finger he realized the warm slick that was pooling between his legs, triggered by being bathed in the strong Alpha scent, the taste of Hannibal’s finger and the feeling of being _cared_ for. Will sincerely hoped Hannibal couldn’t _smell_ anything, but he also knew that the doctor had an excellent sense of smell, even for an Alpha.

The blue pill tasted bitter and Will quickly reached for the glass of water on the tray. While he downed the cool water, he eyed Hannibal warily.

“Why am I not in the guestroom?” _Why am I in your bedroom?_

“Your seizure was mild but still stronger than the circumstances should allow. I signed a contract, Will. It is my duty to take care of you, and after what happened I feel compelled to observe you until I can be sure you are feeling better.”

“You could have done that in the guestroom,” Will insisted, although he was secretly thankful. The medication seemed to be kicking in and the headache was slowly getting weaker. Hannibal smiled mildly. He was used to Will’s reluctance by now. He sat down on the edge of the bed and regarded the young Primal for a moment.

“Ms. Katz called. She insisted on visiting. I expect she will be here shortly.”

Will’s eyes widened, slightly panicked.

“I’d rather she didn’t come,” he said, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them. Hannibal furrowed his brow.

“I think some company other than myself would be beneficial for you.”

“Alana was here yesterday.”

“I apologize for my curiosity, but is there something Ms. Katz has done to upset you?”

_Nothing apart from being pretty fucking happy about us kissing_

“No… I just want to rest,” Will lied. Before Hannibal could answer, the doorbell rang. Will could smell Beverly before she even entered the staircase. Something inside him protested as the strong, intense Alpha-scent started to mix with her Beta-scent.

“Hey there,” she said with a grin as Hannibal guided her into the room. The Alpha eyed her for a moment but left the room, if reluctantly. At least that’s what it looked like to Will.

“What are you doing here?” he sighed as soon as Hannibal was gone. Bev’s grin widened.

“You think I’d just stay down after you tell me something like _that?_ Someone needs to give you two a push.”

Will quickly shushed her and threw a worried look at the door. Beverly just shook her head and went over to sit down on the edge of the bed.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked, “I want to know _everything.”_

“There’s nothing to know. I already told you; we kissed. That’s it.”

“Just like that?”

“Well… I might have… accidentally encouraged it.”

Beverly furrowed her brow.

“What do you mean ‘encouraged’?”

Will pursed his lips and dropped his head into the pillows. He really didn’t want to talk about this, but on the other hand he knew she wouldn’t leave until he did. With a sigh he sat up and stared at the wardrobe opposite.

“I purred,” he muttered very quietly, but going by her squeak she had heard it.

“Will…” she struggled for words. “You sure you don’t want Dr. Lecter’s knot?”

She ducked but Will’s pillow hit her on the head nonetheless. She chuckled and jumped away from the bed to prevent further attacks.

“No, but seriously, why are you so against mating? Have you never even thought about it?” she then asked in a more serious manner, though the grin was still tugging at her lips.

“Of course I have. That doesn’t mean I want it. I get along fine without a mate. Why change that?”

Beverly frowned and inclined her head.

“Well, because you don’t want to die alone, do you?”

“As a matter of fact I wouldn’t mind. A mate just makes everything more complicated. Let alone a bond. I wouldn’t want to be such a burden to anyone.”

“You’re a Primal Omega. Show me an Alpha that would see you as a _burden_ and I’ll eat a spider.”

“That’s the point. I’m more than a Primal Omega.” Will’s voice had gotten a bit angrier and Beverly raised her hands calmingly.

“I know, of course you are. But how can you expect an Alpha to see that if you don’t let anyone look?”

“I don’t _expect_ anyone to see anything. I don’t want a mate.”

“Yet you kissed Dr. Lecter. And are lying in his bed right now, if my poor Beta-nose picked that up correctly,” she said and stepped closer to the bed again, deciding Will could be trusted to respect a ceasefire for now.

“I wouldn’t have thought you’re one of those people who refuse to see that Alphas and Omegas can be friends,” Will retorted dryly.

“I don’t refuse to see, I just find it unlikely.”

“Why? You and Alana are friends.”

“That’s… different. I’m not an Alpha.”

“Maybe Alana doesn’t want an Alpha,” Will shot back and looked at the Beta challengingly. Beverly narrowed her eyes.

“So? Who says I want an Omega?” she asked.

“Well, you don’t want to die alone, do you?” Will answered with the hint of a smirk. Beverly glared at him for a moment and then she started laughing.

“Alright. Not bad, Graham,” she said with a grin. “At least I’m not afraid to admit it.”

Will frowned and rubbed a hand over his forehead. His headache was getting stronger and he realized he should probably lie back down.

“I’m not afraid. There’s just nothing to admit to.”

“Really? Sooo… if he’d kiss you again, you’d tell him to stop?”

_If he’d kiss you again…._ Will’s mind immediately started painting a picture and the Primal shoved it away forcefully with a deep frown.

“No,” he muttered quietly and Beverly smiled triumphantly.

“But that doesn’t change anything. As I said, he’s not interested in mating either,” Will quickly added. Beverly rolled her eyes.

“So what? You’re an Omega. Seduce him!”

“I do not need a mate,” Will growled, emphasizing every word. A grin spread over Beverly’s features.

“You said ‘need’. You usually say ‘ _want’,”_ she announced and clapped her hands together once as if to applaud her for her own observation. Will pursed his lips and finally dropped his head into the pillows. The room had started spinning and he really didn’t want to faint again.

“It wouldn’t make any difference if I did. It’s not always best to get what you want…”

“But you _do_ want it,” Beverly stated and smiled. Will glanced at her and sighed.

“I don’t know what I want,” he muttered. It was the truth. On one hand he wanted to get as much distance between him and Hannibal as possible, on the other he wanted nothing more than to kiss the Alpha again.

“You got eight weeks to figure it out,” Bev replied and ruffled through his hair. “I’m gonna leave you to _Dr. Lecter_ again,” she said and overemphasized the man’s name to the point of ridiculousness. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she added with a grin.

“I think doing what you _wouldn’t_ do is the very definition of rationality,” Will replied and couldn’t suppress a grin as she stuck her tongue out at him.

“I expect a certain amount of love bites the next time I see you. Do your homework,” she said lastly before she fled the room with a smirk.

Will heard her briefly talking to Hannibal outside and found himself _praying_ she would behave. When he heard the door closing, he realized how tired he was and fell asleep again minutes before Hannibal entered the room.

 

The Alpha watched Will for a while, considering everything that had happened and would inevitably happen. He wasn’t worried about the Primal’s health. Will hadn’t really had a seizure, but of course he wasn’t to know that. Additionally Hannibal rather enjoyed the sight of the Primal in his bed; the sweet, sweet scent mingling and mixing with his own to a point where they melt into something new. The blue pill had been a soporific, similar to the one he had mixed into Will’s dinner, just a lot milder. He didn’t need the Primal to lose consciousness again this time, but he did feel uneasy about being accountable for the beautiful young man’s headache. He hoped a bit of sleep would help the Omega feel better again. After a while he forced himself to leave, not without adjusting the blanket around the sleeping Primal.

*

“You were never interested in a mate before,” Dr. DuMaurier remarked, watching Hannibal attentively.

“I wasn’t implying I am now,” Hannibal answered. “I am interested in Will, not in mating”

“Most people would say one presupposes the other,” she said and the corner of her lip twitched before she added, “A party we both know you don’t include yourself in.”

“Indeed not. Will’s mind is equally as intriguing to me as his biology presumably is to other Alphas.”

“If it is solely his mind that has you intrigued it would be in order to question your physical actions towards him.”

Hannibal narrowed his eyes a bit, a movement any other person would have missed, but Bedelia had known him long enough to notice it.

“There is nothing to question. It was a simple loss of control, a basic instinct that momentarily overruled rational thinking.”

“Instinct,” Bedelia repeated at length. “Instinct feeds on something anchored deeper. There is no instinct unless there are feelings as well.”

“I detach myself from feelings.”

“That would indicate you can detach yourself from instinct as well. Feelings aren’t something we can simply turn off, Hannibal. Not even you.”

“Instinct lies within our biology, feelings within our psychology. One we’re doomed to comply, the other we can enhance.”

“We’re not divided into sections. A clockwork has many different cogs, but it only starts moving if they’re all functioning.”

Hannibal straightened an invisible crease in his suit and thought for a while.

“Yes, but if one wants to control the hands it is necessary to manipulate the cogs.”

*

A week passed more or less eventless, except for the kiss on day one. Will still slept in Hannibal’s bed, Hannibal on the couch in the room. At first Will had protested, as uncomfortable with an Alpha sleeping in the same room as he was with occupying Hannibal’s bed.

“You shouldn’t have to sleep on a couch in your own house. At least take the guestroom.”

“And what would be the point of that? The only reason you are here is so that I can observe you, Will.”

“Then let me sleep on the couch.”

“What sort of doctor would I be if I let my patient sleep on a couch?”

“I’m not your patient.”

“What sort of friend would I be, then?”

After a while, Will had given up. Of course it wasn’t necessary to _observe_ the Primal this closely, and even if Will would have actually had a seizure, after a week it would have been more than safe to return him to the guestroom. Still, on Sunday nothing about their sleeping arrangement had changed and the Alpha would be lying if he’d say he didn’t massively enjoy the sight of the Primal in his bed. In a way it was also to make a point. To prove to himself (and Bedelia) that he could contain both instinct and his alleged _feelings,_ even with the Omega’s soft breath so close every night. That he wouldn’t lose control again. No one was supposed to have such power over Hannibal, including the beautiful Primal.

Another perk of having Will sleep in his bed was the _smell._ He was aware of the way the Omega’s body reacted to being surrounded by nothing but _Alpha_ and knew that his sheets would likely be ruined after another week. When Will asked to shower however, he forbid him under the pretext that it would still be too risky should the Primal faint again. The truth was that Hannibal was _addicted_ to the scent of Will’s arousal and he wanted to keep and savor it as long as possible.

He was, if he was completely honest with himself, entirely addicted to Will. Hopelessly. But that didn’t mean his stance on mating had changed, did it?

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that Mark Twain lived in Hannibal?  
> (here's to bad puns)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They eat, they shop, they talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that took so long, I really want to update more often but there are eight different things I'm writing at the same time so....

Time passed quicker than Will had expected. Three weeks since the ominous kiss. He was meanwhile sleeping in the guestroom again. The drowsiness still hit him sometimes, but never as strong as three weeks ago. It was odd how quickly he had gotten used to the situation, and he was more than a little sad that his time under Hannibal’s care was passing so rapidly. He couldn’t deny that he enjoyed the Alpha’s company, his care, his comfort. Nothing worth mentioning had happened since the kiss, except for occasional tender touches, sometimes a hand stroking through Will’s curls, sometimes a meeting of eyes that lingered just a little too long to be casual, sometimes a knee brushing against Will’s thigh at the dinner table, and soon Will found himself openly searching for the gestures, tilting his head ever so suggestively, moving closer to Hannibal than the situation would require, purring on different frequencies from time to time, knowing it had an effect on the Alpha however harmless.

_Seduce him_

Beverly’s voice whispered in his mind. He silenced it angrily. He wasn’t trying to seduce Hannibal. He didn’t need a mate. But was it wrong to enjoy the small, tender affection the Alpha provided? No, it was harmless; they were both completely in control, right? Feelings, instinct, whatever it had been, it had fooled them once, and Will wasn’t about to let that happen again. As long as the touches and the gestures remained controlled there was nothing to be ashamed or scared of. Friends showed affection towards one another too, after all. This didn’t mean anything.  

Most of the time, Will and Hannibal just talked, some conversations carrying on for hours. Will had never had a more interesting conversational partner and their long talks fascinated him. With every second he spent with Hannibal, he became more aware how desired the Alpha must be among other Omegas. In a way he felt honored to be interacting with him so naturally. It made him feel special, as much as every small touch.

 

It was a warm morning and the first thing Will saw upon waking up was the sun. He yawned and stretched in the comfortable bed, already picking up a mouthwatering smell from the kitchen. With a smile he made his way downstairs.

“Morning,” he muttered and stopped in the doorway to watch Hannibal cook for a moment.

“You are not quite subtle about your staring, Will,” Hannibal answered without turning around. Will blushed but couldn’t suppress a grin.

“I’m just surprised to see you cook something as simple as fried eggs,” Will answered with a wary look at the pan in front of the Alpha.

“Not as simple as you might believe,” Hannibal said and covered the eggs in something that looked a lot like wheat porridge. “Eggs prepared in vegetable oil, served with Dukkah; chopped hazelnuts and a variety of herbs and spices,” he explained while he placed a plate in front of Will. “An Egyptian recipe I stumbled upon while I was in Cairo.”

Will eyed the dish and glanced up at Hannibal before he hesitantly reached for the fork.

“You were in Cairo?” he asked and tried a bite. It tasted foreign and he had to get used to the small explosion of flavors in his mouth, but it was nothing short of delicious.

“I spent most of my youth travelling,” Hannibal answered and Will took another bite, fully aware of Hannibal’s pleased look when he hummed approvingly.

“I’ve never been out of the States except for France,” Will muttered and lowered his gaze. They hadn’t talked about Primal Instincts since the first week.

“That truly is a shame. The world has a lot of beauty to offer when one searches for it.”

“The world has localities that desperately try to distract from how fucked up the rest is,” Will answered under his breath. Hannibal arched one brow at the curse.

“I would appreciate it if you would refrain from swearing in my house,” he said. “Someone like you shouldn’t have to resort to vulgarities to express himself.”

The Primal looked up at Hannibal and held his gaze for a moment.

“The state the world is in doesn’t leave anything but vulgarities to describe it,” he replied but he bowed his head and added: “But I apologize, it won’t happen again.”

For a moment he startled. He realized he was behaving _exactly_ like a submissive Omega. The thought angered him beyond compare and it didn’t take him long to blame his behavior on Hannibal. He knitted his brows and said:

“I suppose that is a rule you failed to mention when I asked you to.” The sulky defiance was clear in his voice and Hannibal sighed. The Alpha interrupted his work at the stove and sat down next to Will. He waited until the Primal glanced at him and then said:

“Will, I established one rule and one rule only.  This was a simple request. Socializing would be easier if you didn’t distrust everything that is being said to you.”

“Trust is something I’ve learned not to rely on,” Will replied.

“No,” Hannibal answered. “What you’ve learned is to rely on reluctance on principle. If you believe the whole world wants to harm you, you create a self-fulfilling prophecy. You stop noticing those who want to help you and dwell on those who want to hurt you. What happened to you was not fair, but neither is resenting every Alpha you meet.”

“Are you psychoanalyzing me again, _Dr. Lecter_? I don’t resent every Alpha; I simply choose not to blindly trust them.”

“You choose not to trust them at all.”

“No Alpha has ever given me reason to,” Will snapped and realized what he had said a moment later. He dropped his gaze and sucked his lower lip into his mouth. “That wasn’t…. I didn’t mean… I’m sorry. “

 “It’s perfectly fine, Will. You don’t have to apologize.”

“No it’s not and yes I do,” Will muttered. “I’m sorry, Hannibal. You’ve done nothing but helping me and honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without you. I’m sorry. I don’t resent you.”

Hannibal’s eyes betrayed an amused glimmer and Will realized his words weren’t exactly a compliment.

“I… I mean, you’ve given me every reason to trust you,” he quickly added, cautious of his words. Of course the Alpha noticed.

“And yet you don’t,” he stated softly. Will pursed his lips and dropped his gaze even further, tracing patterns on the floor with his eyes.

“Maybe one day,” he said quietly. A warm palm cupped his chin and a thumb stroked across his cheek once, but before Will could lean into the touch the hand was gone again.

“Finish your breakfast. We have plans for today.”

“Do we?” Will quirked one eyebrow and looked at the Alpha warily. Hannibal sat down opposite Will and didn’t answer; holding his gaze patiently until Will averted his eyes with a sigh and finished up.

 

*

“I hope you’re not serious. There is no way I’m going to the opera,” Will said disparagingly. They were in Hannibal’s Bentley, and the Alpha had just revealed his _plans_ for the evening,though Will still didn’t know where they were going now.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, Will. It would be irresponsible of me to leave you alone that long,” Hannibal answered and Will wanted to smash his head against the windshield. Even though he looked completely collected and professional, Will didn’t miss the slight tug at the Alpha’s lips.

“I’m fine, Hannibal. You know it wouldn’t be irresponsible. I don’t know why you would possibly think this is a good idea. In fact, I believe it would be more irresponsible to take me to the opera,” Will blurted out angrily. The last thing he wanted to do was to spend the evening in a pretentious building full of pretentious people in pretentious clothes, showing off their mates pretentiously.

“Will, I told you. The world has a lot beauty to offer if one searches for it.”

There was something incredibly tender in Hannibal’s voice and Will looked up, almost shocked. He started at the Alpha for a moment and saw a side that was vulnerable, that was moved, that was rapt. A side of the Alpha he had never seen before and suddenly he understood what this was about. Hannibal wished to share that exact side, if even just for one evening. Will swallowed hard.

“I don’t even have anything to wear,” he muttered weakly. Hannibal sensed the indulgence and smiled.

“As I said, we have plans,” he answered and stopped in front of a tailor. Will stared at the building as if it was an exotic beast. There was an elegantly curved, gold lettering above the door reading “Flannings’ Attire&Accessoires”

“No,” the Primal said. “I’m not setting a foot in there.”  Even the mannequins looked arrogant.

“Then I assume you were mistaken when you said you have nothing to wear?”

Will pressed his lips into a tight line.

“No,” he grunted and waited until the Alpha got out of the car. The Omega sighed and threw a last, disgusted look at the mannequins before he followed Hannibal inside.

“Hello, Dr. Lecter, it’s been a while,” an elderly female Alpha said with smile that was all teeth. “And I see you brought company,” she added and let her eyes roam over Will. The Omega saw the twitch of her nose as she inhaled quickly. Her eyes widened a bit and her smile turned a little more genuine.

“A Primal. Well, isn’t that a pleasant surprise! I met one a few years ago, in Europe, though I must admit he wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to you. Dr. Lecter’s taste has always been exquisite,” she said and extended her hand. “I’m Mrs. Flannings”

“Will Graham,” the Omega said and had to force himself to take the extended hand. The woman’s words made him unbelievably uncomfortable and his surroundings even more. The store was bigger than it looked from outside and could have easily passed as the dressing room of an ancient king. Heavy, dark furniture, red velvet carpeting and chandeliers instead of lamps. Hundreds of suits and dresses hanging on golden racks, expensive looking cufflinks and jewelry in a huge cabinet behind the desk.

“Well, Dr. Lecter, what did you have in mind?” the woman asked, tearing her gaze back to Hannibal and Will decided not think about whether she was asking him because she could see Will had little insight or because she was of the opinion an Omega should sit quiet while an Alpha spoke for him. Either way, the Primal frowned and focused on one of the chandeliers. He paid little attention to what Hannibal and Ms. Flannings were talking about and tried to get his mind off by counting the rhinestones. When he felt Hannibal’s hand gently pressing between his shoulder blades he woke from his reverie and realized the woman had already moved on to another customer and a shop assistant was standing next to them, holding a variety of suits Will could only frown upon again.

“Is this really necessary?” he asked the Alpha and it was all he could do not to pout. Hannibal sighed and led Will towards the changing cubicles.

“What are you so afraid of, Will?” he asked as soon as the assistant was out of earshot, the suits hanging neatly next to a mirror. The Primal frowned.

“I wonder if you’ll ever stop trying to analyze me.”

“I wouldn’t have to analyze you if you would stop withholding your emotions,” Hannibal answered and reached for a suit that looked like it cost more than a car.

“I’m not withholding my emotions, I’m just trying to be polite. I doubt you’d want to know my _emotions_ right now.”

“All the more should you share them with me,” Hannibal replied and handed the suit to Will who hesitated a bit before he took it. “If you are trying to learn how to trust, this would be a good start,” the Alpha added.

Will stepped into a cubicle and closed the curtain behind him. In a way, it was easier to talk openly without having to face Hannibal. He sighed and rubbed his forehead before he started speaking quietly.

“First of all, I’m not comfortable with any of this,” he muttered. “It’s not just the opera, it’s… I don’t know. I don’t know how I am supposed to act around you, because I don’t know how I feel about you. I don’t know what you are to me.”

“I am your friend, Will.”

“You keep saying that. But I think we both know we stopped being friends the moment we kissed.”

There was complete and terrifying silence for a moment. The moment stretched and Will leaned against the wall of the cubicle, closing his eyes and waiting for an answer. The bomb had dropped. What now? After a felt eternity, Hannibal cleared his throat.

“We’ve come beyond friendship then. What do you want us to be, Will?”

Will laughed humorlessly, desperately.

“I don’t know.”

Another moment of silence.

“Perhaps it would be best to remain what we are now until you do.”

_What we are now_

“And what is that?” Will asked.

“Someone who needed help and someone who provided it.”

Hannibal’s voice was completely stoic and Will felt a sharp pinch in his chest. He stood up and pulled himself together before he threw a look in the mirror. He had absentmindedly put on the suit and realized now how strange it felt. Strange, yet not unpleasant. He looked different but also still the same. Will sighed. Maybe it was about time something other than his appearance changed.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but writing this chapter made me incredibly sad.


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